Container



F. C. BASELT CONTAINER April 18, 1961 Filed Dec. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK C. BASELT ATTORNEYS F. C. BASELT Apri]18,1961

CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1957 7X 77 if INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent G CONTAINER Frederick C. Baselt, NewYork, N. assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporationof New Jersey Filed Dec. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 701,066

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-37;

The present invention relates to containers for the packaging anddelivery of liquids, such as milk, fruit juices and the like and hasparticular reference to fibre containers having bevel corner panels andnecked-in body portions securing end closure members to the containerbodies.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a container formilk and other liquid products wherein the body of the container isgenerally square in configuration for ease in handling and is providedwith bevel corner panels which result in an increase in the volume orcapacity of such a container over a square container made from a blankof the same length thereby permitting the use of a blank of less heightwhich results in a container of reduced height for the same volume orcapacity and a resultant saving in material used for each container.

Another object is the provision of such a container in which the cornerpanels permit of a particular folding of the body material forcooperation with necked-in portions disposed along the marginal endedges of the body for the attachment of end closures thereto. Thisresults in a natural or unstressed bending of the body material withouttucking or tight compression of the material into sharp corners.

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein theprovision of relatively narrow corner panels permits of less binding ofthe body material at the corners as compared with sharp cornered squarecontainers and thereby results in a structurally stronger body with bendlines of less depth and panels flexed only 45 degrees'instead of 90degrees.

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein the use ofcorner panels provides for greater protection through less protrusion ofthe tucked under lip of the friction plug closure element usuallyattached to such containers. This results in less danger of displacementof the tucked under lip during shipment and storage of the containers.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed container embodying theinstant invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along a horizontal planeindicated by the lines 22 in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged fragmentary perspective views of one cornerof the container shown in Fig. 1, with Fig. 3 showing the manner offolding the necked-in portions of the container body and Fig. 4 showingthe folds in a completed condition;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a corner portion of theblank from which the container body is made, the view illustratingcrease lines in the body to effect the folds shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken substantially "ice along thelines 6-6, 77 in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively, with parts broken away;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view taken along a plane indicatedby the lines 8-8 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 inFig. 8, with parts broken away;

Figs. 10 and 11 are fragmentary sectional views taken along planesindicated respectively by the lines 1010,' 1111 in Fig. 9; and

Fig. 12 is a composite schematic plan view showing the contour of asquare container in dotand dash lines superimposed upon the contour of acontainer of the instant invention in full lines to illustrate thedifference in volume or capacity when the two containers are made fromblanks of the same length.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instanti'nvention thedrawings illustrate a generally square or rectangular container of thecharacter disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6,1937, to John M. Hothersall on Container. Such a container comprisesafibre tubular body 21 (Fig. 1) closed at its ends with top and bottomend closure members 22, 23 secured in place by end seams 24. The topclosure member 22 preferably is provided with a dispensing openinghaving a friction plug cover 25 hingedly secured in place by a staple26. The plug cover 25 preferably is formed with a lip 27 which extendsalong and is tucked under the portion of the end seam 24 adjacent thedispensing openin to protect the plug cover against accidental openingduring shipment and storage.

The container body 21 preferably is formed from a single flat sheet orblank of fibrous material folded along vertical-crease lines 31 toprovide four right'angularly disposed relatively wide side walls 32 (seealso Fig. 2) and four, intervening relatively narrow beveled cornerpanel walls 33, and having the side edges of the blank overlapped andadhesively secured together tov provide a side seam 34.

The width of the beveled walls 33 preferably is about one fifth thewidth of the side walls 32 and are designed to increase the volume orcapacity of the container over a square or rectangular container havingsharp degree corners where both containers are made from blanks of thesame length. This comparison is shown in Fig. 12 where a squarecontainer outlined in dot and dash lines is superimposed upon a bevelcorner panel container outlined in full lines. With such a beveledcorner panel container the height of the container can be reduced forthe same volume as a square container and hence a substantial saving maybe made in the amount of material used in the container bodies.

The body side walls 32 adjacent their top and bottom ends are necked-inor formed with inwardly obliquely extending wall sections 37 (see alsoFigs. 4 and 9) which merge into horizontally disposed channel or Ushaped flanges 38 which surround and are adhesively secured to the outerperipheral edge portions of the top and bottom end closures 22, 23 toform the end seams 24 and to thus provide a seat for and hold theclosures in place on the body (see also Figs. 8, 10 and 11). Tofacilitate bending the oblique trapezoidal wall sections 37 and thechannel shaped flanges 38 into place, the flat blank from which the bodyis made, preferably is provided with horizontal crease lines 41, 42 43disposed longitudinally along the edge portions of the blank as'shown inFig. 5.

At the beveled panel walls 33 the oblique wall sections and channelshaped flanges are continued to produce a continuous end seam entirelyaround the end closures 22, 23, but this continuation is effected in amanner which permits of a natural or unstressed folding of the bodymaterial and thus prevents undue compression or crushing of the materialwhich would result in a weakening 1 tral'crease'lines 46 (FigL- ofhecontainer structure. "For this purpose the .flat

d7 wbich'are substantially continuations of the crease lines 41, 42,43am in addition is. providediwith .pairs'of crease lines 48, 49, thelines of'ach. pair,-48 or d9, ex-

' tending outwardly'from vertically aligned points on the crease lines45, 47 and converging atfa point on the cen- Also at ends; of the bodythe blank is provided with vertical ereaselines151 leading from thecrease line 47 and the .point of connection with the lines 48, 49 andwith connecting inwardly sloping crease. lines 52- leading fromthecrease, line 47 to the edge ofthe blank. a t Hence when the blank isformedinto tubular body 7 shape to produce the body 21 and this bodynecked-in atits top and bottom ends, the material Let, the may 'blank asshown in Fig. 5 in the region of the bevet'panel walls 33 is providedwith horizontal crease lines 45,46,

shipment and storage. In addition to'these important features, theinstant structure at the :ontainer provides for a natural folding .ofthe body material in the neckedin sections thereof and thus greatlyincreases the strength tainers.

It is thought that the invention and many oft-ts attendant [advantageswill be understood from the foregoing denat'urallyiolds along thecreaselines abov described and produces the oblique trapezoidal wall.sections 3 7 ;ir i"the. side-walls 32 and similar substantiallycontinuingoblique; rt'rja'pezoidal wall sections 55 inTthebfiv led paneluses.

The oblique trapezoidal'wall sections 55 merge. into'horizontau disposedchannel or U-shapedflanges'56' which surround and are adhesively securedto the outer peripheraledge portions of the top and bottom end closuresscription, and it will be apparentthat various changes may be made inthe form, construction and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting'from-the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing allof its material advan- V tages,*the form hereinbefore described beingmerely a' preferred embodiment thereof,

Iclaim: 1 1 a l a i e 1. A, fibre container comprising a, tubularpolyhedral body having an'even vnuinlzrer of relatively wide vertical 7side walls and an equal numberof relatively narrow ver tical panel wallsdisposed alternately around the body perimeter, each wall aandpanel'being bounded laterally 22,123 at the beveled panel wall 33 andthus provide continuity of the end seams 24.

, ,Where the oblique trapezoidal wall sections 55 in the panelssaconnect with the adjacent oblique trapezoidal wall sections 37 in theside walls 32, the crease lines 48,

tionsSS into'the. oblique wall sections 37 and similarly mergetheadj'acent channel wall section 56 into the adiacent channel wallsection 38,

- in thefini'shed container as viewed in Figs. :4 and 7,'

, 49define and provide two small obtuse triangular wall sections 58(Fig.3) which are connected along the crease ,line 42 and whichgradually merge'thea oblique wall secangular Wall section 58 remains asa slight protuberance on, each side of the panel walls 33 and presents asmooth merger of the oblique wall section 55 into, the adjacent obliquewall sections 37 in the sidewalk in a natural smooth fold which enhancesthe appearance of the heckled-in sections and more importantly providesa structurally strong necked-in formation. a

"In a simil'ar manner, the crease linesSl, 52' in the outer channel wallsections 56. set off small triangular vvjall sections 59 which produceunder-folds as shown in Figs. 7, 8 andr9,'in the outer flangesection ofthe end seam 2,4 and which provide a smooth continuous connectionbetween the outer channel wall sections 56 of the bevel panel walls 33and the outer channel Wall sections 38 of the side walls 32.

With such a construction of containers, the body bevel by verticalcrease linesjiand atleast one end thereof by a first horizontalcreaseline, said first horizontal crease lines lying in a first horizontalplane spaced from an'end of said body, a. second series vof horizontalcrease lines lying in a second horizontal plane disposed between saidfirst horizontal plane and said end of the body and setting ofi acontinuous flange at the end or the body, a pair of diverging creaselines startingat each point of intersection between a said verticalcrease line and a said first horizont'al crease line, said pairs ofdiverging lines terminating atpoints on saidsecondhorizontalcrease linesand setting ofi between said'first and second series of horizontalcrease lines a series of inclinedftrape'zoidal wall sections eachmerging-at one side with a saidvertical wall and at the opposite s'ideevvith said flange and ase'ries of obtuse tritrapezoidal wallsections,'the fibre along said vdiverging crease, lines being bentinalternately opposite directions,

1 and jan endclosure secured to said flange at said end of corner panelwalls 33, aside from increasing the capacity of thecontainer with areduction or saving in material used for agiven volume, also provide foradjoining walls having more gradual and smoother 45 degree bends insteadof sharp 90 degree'corners while at the same time preserving the generalsquare or rectangular configuranon which facilitates handling of thecontainers during the body, whereby a strong andrelatively unstressednecked-in formation lies between said vertical walls and said endclosure.

. '2. A fib're container of the character defined in claim 1 wherein asecond series of obtuse triangular wall sections are defined by a secondseries of similar but reversely directed paired divergingcrease lines insaid flangev that meet corresponding lines of said first mentioned pairsof diverging crease lines to set oft" a second series of trapezoidalsections, and whereby said first and second series of trapezoidalandobtu'se triangular section'srmer'ge with each other and with 'saidvertical walls and flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSStoller et al. Jan. 14,1958

